Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon

The words "downloadable content", or DLC for short, usually cause gamers to dry heave.  The idea of having to pay more money to add onto a game you already own can feel cheap and insulting.  However, on occasion DLC can be original and satisfying.  Such is the case with Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon.

Changing the game without actually changing the game
If you couldn't tell from the title Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon is actually Far Cry 3.  The game engine, the controls, the graphics, are all exact replicas of Far Cry 3 - a wonderful game in its own right.  However, Blood Dragon has completely changed the look of the game and turned it into a homage to all the great 80's action movies.  The game stars Rex Power Colt, a cyber commando who spews out one-liners just as quickly as he dishes out kills.  His weaponry includes laser rifles, explosive sniper rounds, inferno shotgun shells and an old school bow and arrow complete with neon lights.  References are made in the game from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles all the way to Terminator.  There are even dragons that shoot frickin' lasers out of their eyes! The wonderful thing about Blood Dragon is the fact that even though the game plays exactly the same way as Far Cry 3 it still feels like a game that could stand on its own as an original IP (intellectual property).  If this is the new way that DLC is going to be done then gamers are going to be very happy.

Dragons that shoot frickin' lasers out of their eyes!

Hope for the Future
Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon hopefully has set a standard for what DLC should be.  Instead of feeling cheap and tacked on, Blood Dragon feels refreshing and well crafted.  Often times DLC is frowned upon because it is just tacked on and adds no real value to a game you already own.  However, Blood Dragon is a game I am willing to pay for because it is original and well produced.  It's obvious from the very moment you boot up the game that the developers put a great amount of time and effort into the game and were not simply doing it to increase the company's revenue.  Let's hope that more companies follow Ubisoft's example, instead of simply casting it off as an aberration.  Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon is exactly what DLC should be and hopefully, what future DLC will be.

Parenthood (not the TV show)

For a blog that is supposed to be all about video games I sure haven't posted many video game articles lately.  I'll have to work on that.  Today, however, I feel like I need to talk about parenthood.  I've been a dad for a little over a year now and I have learned many new things over the course of that time.  Not that any of my ideas are revolutionary, but they have been somewhat of an epiphany for me.  Learning to care for another human life is not a task that anyone should take lightly and is truly something that can't be completely prepared for.  Sure, you can have the room all set up, the diapers fully stocked, the cute outfits all picked out, but ultimately the responsibility it takes to care for a completely dependent human life can seem insurmountable.  I know I felt that fear when I learned my son Max was coming and I know I'm not alone in that feeling.  I want this post to be a discussion of my fears, my realizations and most importantly what being a parent means to me.

Fears
When I learned that we were going to have a child I was kind of excited, but most of my thoughts went to the realization that I was going to be a father.  For me, fatherhood was a high standard.  My dad in my mind was the best father that has existed or will ever exist in the course of human existence.  So, I felt myself inadequate for the task.  I mean the shift from caring solely for yourself (and your wife or girlfriend I suppose, but to a lesser extent) to caring for another human being is truly jarring.  I was scared I wouldn't live up to the standard set by my father or that I didn't possess the innate abilities required to properly raise a thriving child, but when my son was born all of those fears dissipated into nothingness.  It was then that I learned that the Beatles weren't completely wrong when they said, "All you need is love."

Jubilation
September 25, 2011.  Not a day I will ever forget.  My son was born at 8:06 a.m. on that day and from the moment he held my finger I was hooked.  He was and still remains the most wonderful thing that my Heavenly Father has given me.  All those fears I spoke of just seemed to disappear.  It was in that moment that I got the impression that as long as I loved this boy that I would be exactly what he needs to thrive in this world.  Because it is through love that we desire to be better.  We desire to be better for those we care about, for those who we truly love.  I learned that love is a stepping stone, a starting point that leads you through the journey of parenthood like a compass.  If you love someone then you will grow and adapt to be whatever it is you need to be to truly care for that person.  If you love then all your inadequacies and faults will seem like nothing more than pebbles along the road, not the giant boulders you once perceived them to be.

What it all Means
As this world shifts farther and farther away from the moral traditions of the past, parents will be the first and possibly only line of defense for their children.  The children of today are confronted with messages of all sorts ranging from the offensive to the clearly vulgar and without involved parents who love and care for them it can be easy for kids to be lost in those messages and possibly accept them as truths.  I see it constantly in the video game community; children playing games they shouldn't be playing, or listening to online conversations that no child should ever hear (I'm looking at you Call of Duty).  This is just a microcosm of the problem but, parents have to be there to mentor their children and to shield them from the inappropriate things of the world.  Be involved with your child, know what they are watching or listening to and if you're going to buy a video game for them please, please do research on the game, or if you're feeling lazy just ask me about it.  As a parent I now see the vulgar waves of society that would otherwise capsize my child's innocence.  Because of the love I have for my child I choose to steer him clear of those dangers and into safe harbors. I would hope I am not in the minority here, but perhaps I am.  No matter, I firmly believe that as parents go, so does the world.  Parents have the burden of pointing a child in the right direction, or allowing them to drift as the waves of the world see fit.  I understand that sometimes even the best of parents can have wayward children, but that's a different topic for a different day.  My point is no matter who you are, no matter how many faults you have or think you have, you can be a strong and vigilant parent.  All you need is love.